Parents win battle for security fence at school

PARENTS who have been fighting for years to get a new security fence to protect their children's vandal-hit school have finally won their battle after education chiefs confirmed it will be installed this year.

Murrayburn Primary in Sighthill is a constant target for vandals and parents believe the only way to cut down on attacks is to install the fence.

Education bosses last year said it would cost too much money, but have now decided to do what parents originally asked for and move a fence from one of the city's closing schools to Murrayburn.

The Evening News revealed earlier this year that vandals had caused more than 8,500 worth of damage to the school over the past few years, which has had to come out of the school's budget.

The figure was obtained in a freedom of information request, which showed the total cost of vandal attacks to Edinburgh's schools was almost 600,000 over the past five years.

Murrayburn parents believe the school will be far better protected when the fence is installed and that safety at the school will also be improved.

Carol Swan, chair of the parent council, said: "We have lobbied hard to get this and we are delighted that at last they are putting the safety of the children first instead of budget constraints.

"The school spends a lot of money on replacement windows because the fence we have is inadequate.

"Another problem is on a Friday afternoon when all 350 pupils finish at the same time and have to spill out of an entrance which isn't big enough. It's an accident waiting to happen and the headteacher has to go there with a high visibility jacket to try and control it. When we get the new fence we will hopefully be able to make the entrance bigger.

"The police have made regular visits to the school and that is their recommendation.

"We are pleased that the council has listened to our suggestion to take a fence from a school which has closed and doesn't need it any more and this seems like a sensible decision for once."

Parents say the school is a target for teenagers at the weekends, particularly during the summer months, and staff often turn up on a Monday morning to find broken windows and glass bottles strewn in the playground.

In an e-mail to parents confirming that the new fence will be installed this year, Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, the city's education leader, said she shares their concerns about security.

She said: "Substantial fencing panels from another school have been secured for use at Murrayburn, to be fitted with new supports and foundations on the Murrayburn site.

"Unfortunately, these are not available until autumn 2010, when they will be removed and installed at the school.

"By re-using equipment and fittings in very good condition from other schools which have closed and transferring them to the schools receiving additional pupils, we can make the most of the funding available.

"This means that we can do more from the funding available to invest more into these and the other school buildings."